TOKYO // Japan, reeling from the murder of two of its citizens by ISIL extremists, will offer an additional US$15 million (Dh55m) in aid to fight terrorism in Middle East and Africa.
Japan hopes to demonstrate its resolve not to cave in to terrorism with the fresh assistance, which will be announced at a global counter-terrorism conference starting on Wednesday in Washington, the Sankei Shimbun said on Sunday.
It said the money would be distributed through international organisations to affected regions, including countries bordering Syria and Iraq.
Large parts of those countries are controlled by ISIL militants.
Prime minister Shinzo Abe has come under intense criticism over the timing of an earlier $200 million Japanese pledge to help refugees fleeing ISIL-controlled areas.
Mr Abe announced the $200 million aid in Egypt on January 17, saying Japan would “help curb the threat” of ISIL and give the money “for those countries contending with” the militants.
The announcement was followed by the hostage drama, with the militants demanding the same sum in exchange for a captured Japanese contractor Haruna Yukawa and a journalist Kenji Goto.
The militants later changed their demand to the release of a death row inmate from a Jordanian prison.
Tokyo pressed Jordan for help, but the militants eventually announced the killing of the pair as well as a Jordanian pilot, along with photos and videos.
* Agence France-Presse